


Wintersend Traditions

by drysia



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Clan Lavellan - Freeform, Cullavellan Week 2016, Dalish Elven Culture and Customs, F/M, Sharing Customs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-14 08:25:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8005645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drysia/pseuds/drysia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lavellan surprises Cullen with a Dalish holiday tradition.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wintersend Traditions

Wintersend was fast approaching, but you wouldn’t know it judging by all the snow still covering the ground.  
  
It had been years since Cullen properly celebrated Wintersend, he often volunteered for the most miserable shifts for the holidays as a Templar. He wanted to keep busy, to forget that he had no one to celebrate with. In reality it was because he felt he didn’t deserve to.  
  
This year would be different, he would force himself to celebrate. The look in the Inquisitor’s eyes as she opened his Wintersend present would make up for the lonely years past.  
  
In Honnleath it was tradition for a man to demonstrate the seriousness of his commitment by gifting his love a piece of jewelry for Wintersend. Drysia Lavellan was not a frivolous woman, so his carefully considered his choices. He decided on cuffs for the tips of her ears, delicate looking metal filigree. Practical, nothing to dangle or catch in battle.  
  
Cullen tried to wait until the actual holiday to give her the gift, but the excitement was too much to bear. The Inquisitor agreed to meet him outside of the stables. An unusual request, but he didn’t question it. Many of her requests were unusual.  
  
He had been waiting for less than a minute before — bonk — Cullen felt something hit his head and bounce harmlessly at his feet. An...egg?  
  
A hollow egg painted bright green with clumsy pink polka dots, the top had a hole that was covered with thin paper. The commander shook the egg, not just hollow but filled with something.  
  
“Damn!” Came a voice from above. He expected Sera perched on the stable roof, not the Inquisitor with a disappointed frown on her face.  
  
“Care to explain why I was assaulted by a chicken’s egg?" He raised an eyebrow at her, "Ah, come down here first, love. I don’t trust that roof.”  
  
As usual, she rolled her eyes affectionately, but obliged by jumping off. And, as usual, Cullen failed to hide his distaste for her blasé attitude toward heights.  
  
“It’s a Dalish tradition for a holiday this time of year belonging to those who honor Vir Atish’an. We fill _dashalashu_ like these with whatever we have — seed, petals, paper. Then, we find a person of our choice and we—” she moved quickly, when the _dashalashu_ was above his head she squeezed.  
  
Eggshell, confetti, and lavender scented powder rained down on Cullen’s head. He sputtered and attempted to brush the debris from his hair and only succeeding in getting some egg shells down his armor.  
  
She flashed him a grin that was almost too wide. “To get hit with one is good luck.”  
  
“Then it doesn’t seem fair that I hog all the luck.”  
  
Drysia reached behind her back and pulled another out of a pouch. She held out one hand for him to wait. “You have to catch me first.” With that she tossed the _dashalashu_ away from him and ran in the other direction.  
  
_I guess the present will have to wait after all,_ he sighed as he chased after the _dashalashu._

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Cullavellan Week 2016's prompt sharing customs. The dashalashu are based off of cascarones, a Mexican tradition.


End file.
